Luke 12:48 “To Whom Much Has Been Given, Much Will Be Required”.
In my biography when introduced as warden, I shared how Jesus’ parable of the talents was a favored bible story as a child and why I chose to use this parable to model my spiritual and professional lives - giving/sharing my talents with church and community.
In sharing those talents, a call to church service was paramount as I was an avid Sunday school attendee participating in church pageants for Christmas and Easter. Through those pageants, I became a member of the Sunday school choir and later a member of my larger church choir. I fondly recall the singing of hymns during visits to the shut-in church members. I continue to be a part of that choir each and every time I visit my homeland. I also played a major part in the Church’s youth group attending youth conferences annually as they rotated between the three islands of the Diocese of the Windward Islands, even having the opportunity to attend the Lambeth Conference as a youth representative in 1997. Our annual Harvest celebrations in October also provided not only an opportunity to serve, but to work for the church, as we would decorate the church with the island’s local produce and then host our annual fundraiser in the form of a bazaar the following day. After receiving my Teacher Education qualifications, I chose to teach at my church’s elementary school.
Giving was also part of sharing what I had been given. Ensuring that I contributed to the collection plate was instilled in me from childhood. I looked forward to picking fruits from my backyard trees as my donation to the produce gathering during Harvest. Donations to a multiple of causes - natural disasters, fires, feeding the homeless, support, etc. have also been a part of my lifelong service to others.
The scripture quoted above reminds us that we are not only responsible for what we have, but that Christian duty allows us to share what we have to benefit others. Do you then have time, knowledge, talents, wealth, or a combination of these? Give them freely to our Cathedral home.